Del Moffitt Firefighter of the Year Award
Kethcikan Fire Cheif Roy Selfidge desribes Del as a man who was a friend to all and a man whom everyone in the fire service would want to emulate.
Del Moffitt was not a hero, and in one sense he should never have been an active firefighter nor should he have engaged in anything of a strenuous nature. He was afflicted with polio in his younger years and came out with a leg-crippling defect that would not allow him to function as a normal person does. There was also a heart codition that gave him trouble in his last years with us.
Why then, knowing these things would we ever suggest his name as one to be remembered in high honor, demonstrated by a memory award of him?
Del came to the Ketchikan Volunteer Fire Department in 1962. At that time he had already served some tie with the Cordova Volunteer Fire Department. He applied for membership in Ketchikan and was acccepted, even though his physical handicap should not have allowed it.
In Del's words, "I want to learn all possible because there is a good chance of my being transferred to a smaller town in Alaska. If I have the knowledge and experience, I can be of help to whatever area they send me." That was Del Moffitt! Services beyond self, intestinal fortitude enough to rise above the limitations of physical body and a strong love for his fellow man.
If you could see him running with a shoulder load of hose, falling, getting up and going again, trying to climb an eighty foot ladder, stopping only when he realized it was not practical, or if you could see his happiness in learning to slide down a line, even though he was not allowed to do it above a high roof, you would certainly join us in saying, "He sure had guts."
If you had seen Del spending so much time learning to operate our alarm board, refilling our air tanks, learning first aid to serve on our ambulance, his perfect attendance at training sessions, spending vacation time in the south trying to gain more knowledge and pitching in to help on anything, you would know he wished to learn.
When he left us he transferred to Cordova and immediately took steps to again affiliate himself with their department. If you knew Del had requested us to them surplus items items for their use, and how he had been active with them though it would shorten his years on earth, you would agree that he loved his fellow man.
To make an award in his name is a small token not fully indicative of the love and respect he commanded in the Ketchikan Volunteer Fire Department.
Del Moffitt Firefighter of the Year Award Recipients
1966-William A. Hagevig, Gateway
1967-Jim Woodbury, Three Sisters
1971-Howie Pitts, Three Sisters
1973-Carl Mulvihill, Skagway
1974-Jerry Rollog, Gateway
1975-Alan Judson, Gastineau
1976-Mark Johnson, Kodiak
1977-Tony Herman, Three Sisters
1978-Richard Par, Kodiak
1980-Dewey Whetsell, Cordova
1981-John E. Feero, Gastineau
1982-Richard Groff, Cordova
1983-Isaac "T" Toliver, Central
1984-William A. Hagevig, Gateway
1985-Gene Fisher, Gateway
1986-Gordon Brunten, Gastineau
1987-JoAnne Havens, Cordova
1988-Tom Take, Anchorage
1989-Jerry Kainulainen, Three Sisters
1991-Tom Pie, North Slope Borough
1992-Oscar Watsjold, Seward
1995-Robert Shirnberg, Anchorage
1997-Robin "R.J." Nelson